The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on the sidelines of the annual African mining investment conference Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, within the scope of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), highlighted the source from the office of the Undersecretary of State of the United States (USA) for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Jose Fernandez, who participates in the event.
The agreement signed between the Congolese company La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines) and the Japanese Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) establishes "a framework for coordination in mineral exploration, production and processing, in alignment with the development of Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investments (PGII) of the Lobito Corridor" (which runs through Angola), according to a statement from the US government.
In this sense, the agreement intends to create a framework of cooperation in the areas of mining and mineral resources with the intention of expanding business opportunities in the region.
"In addition, Gecamines will be a key player in the Lobito Corridor project due to its large portfolio of joint-venture projects in production, representing more than 1.5 million tons of copper cathodes and 100,000 tons of cobalt hydroxide and more to be ordered from projects under construction", he said.
The Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), chaired by the US, is a collaboration of 13 countries and the European Union (EU), aiming to "catalyze public and private investments in critical mineral supply chains globally", according to the official website on the US State Department's website.
In addition to the USA, the MSP project includes Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, represented by the European Commission, according to North American authorities.
